India's media has hailed Thursday's successful launch of a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile able to carry a nuclear warhead.

印度媒体对昨天成功发射可以携带核弹头的洲际弹道导弹一事大加赞扬。

The media said the launch of the Agni-V missile had propelled India into the "elite¹ group" of nations who possess such weaponry.

The missile has a range of more than 5,000km (3,100 miles), potentially bringing targets in China within range.

India said the launch was "flawless" and the missile had reached its target.

With this, India joins an elite nuclear club of China, Russia, France, the US and UK which already have long-range missiles, although with a much greater range. Israel is also thought to possess them.

"Missile Muscle", headlined The Indian Express newspaper.

"India has carefully worked on the range of capability³ of the Agni-V to ensure that it does not alarm the world," the newspaper wrote.

"The revealed range, over 5,000km, makes it a LRBM, or long-range ballistic missile, something that does not carry the more sinister⁴（阴险的） connotation of an ICBM, or intercontinental ballistic missile, which would have had a range of over 5,500km."

'Awesome⁵ success'

But other papers described Agni-V as an ICBM, with The Hindu headlining: "Agni-V propels India into elite ICBM club."

"However, responsible possession of nuclear-armed missiles for the purposes of deterrence⁶（威慑） also requires working assiduously（刻苦地） to remove sources of friction⁷ that can erupt into open conflict," the newspaper said in an editorial.

"It is important that India and China start talking to each other on nuclear issues."

The Pioneer described the launch as an "awesome success".

The Asian Age said the launch had "opened up options for India", and that the "most remarkable⁸ thing about it is that it is entirely⁹ indigenous¹⁰".

The Times of India said the Agni-V had helped India "roar" into the "elite ICBM club".

"India can, however, sit at this high table only when the Agni-V, which just about meets the 5,500km ICBM benchmark, becomes fully² operational after four to five repeatable tests," the newspaper said.

Analysts¹¹ say the Agni (meaning "fire" in Hindi and Sanskrit) missile family is to be the cornerstone of India's missile-based nuclear deterrent¹².

The Agni-V is 17.5m tall, solid-fuelled, has three stages and a launch weight of 50 tonnes. It cost more than 2.5bn rupees ($480m; £307m) to develop.